Chapter 157: I’m Heading to China

I shook my head with the towel I had grabbed earlier, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Is it urgent?”

“I have a report on the people you assigned for the background check.”

It seems there might be some significant findings.

Recently, background checks were conducted not only on Cheon Ji-young’s manager but also on the gardener who had worked at the Pyeongchang-dong residence for many years, and the housekeeper in the kitchen.

“Did they catch anyone?”

“We scoured all accounts including those of relatives. There’s no sign of large sums moving around. However, it would be good to investigate the gardener a bit more closely.”

“The gardener Uncle?”

“Yes.”

I recalled the gardener’s face from the few times I’d seen him.

The elderly gardener had been someone my grandfather had known for over 30 years.

“Is there something suspicious?”

“There’s something odd about the children’s asset growth. I think we should dig deeper.”

“Find out as quickly as possible. The longer we wait, the riskier it becomes.”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, aside from the gardener showing some suspicion, it seemed no one had been bought off or coerced.

The bodyguards were people my grandfather had raised since childhood, just like Chief Ha and Manager Ma.

“Anything else?”

“I got a call from Boss Han. He said to contact him as soon as you woke up.”

“I’ll reach out to him.”

Manager Ma bowed slightly and left.

I immediately picked up the phone.

“Hey, Hyung. You got my message?”

—Negotiations with Alibaba’s Jack Ma aren’t going well.

“What are they asking for?”

—His demands are unreasonable. He insists he can’t go over 20%. He’s asking for $20 million.

“Didn’t I say $30 million for 45%?”

—Yeah. But he argues that if the investment is too high, it will hinder the business. He’s insisting on $20 million for 20%. We’ve been negotiating for about an hour and he suggested meeting again later.

Masayoshi Son from SoftBank Japanis slated to meet with Jack Ma soon.

I needed to stake my claim before that.

I recalled that Son wanted $30 million for 49%. I remembered him securing 30% through a $20 million investment.

“What about Tencent?”

—I plan to meet them tomorrow after the Shanghai schedule wraps up.

“I’ll head to China myself.”

—Really? I can handle it myself.

“You handle Tencent. I’ll deal with Alibaba personally.”

—Hah… Fine.

I hung up and fell deep into thought.

By the time the call ended, my hair was nearly dry.

‘Jack Ma must have a reason for being so stubborn.’

Alibaba was currently under severe financial pressure.

I thought I could secure about 35% for $20 million.

It’s possible that Masayoshi Son has employed some oher tactic, contrary to popular belief.

“Well, thinking won’t get me anywhere.”

I lightly tossed the towel I had around my neck aside.

It soared gracefully before landing in the laundry basket.

* * *

Han Gyeong-yeong had arrived at the hotel where the party was being held to meet Wen Jiabao.

“Welcome.”

“Thank you, Vice Premier.”

Having met a few times, Wen Jiabao seemed more at ease with Han Gyeong-yeong than before.

“Today’s your last schedule, right?”

“Yes, I just need to finalize a few more investments.”

The two walked side by side, conversing.

“Did you find any good investment opportunities?”

“Thanks to you, Vice Premier, I think there will be good outcomes.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I appreciate your investments.”

Soon, a large door opened, and the two entered the banquet hall together.

The appearance of the prominent Prime Minister candidate made many people in the hall stop talking and look at Wen Jiabao.

Han Gyeong-yeong matched his pace to keep up with Wen Jiabao as he strode confidently into the crowd.

Just then, an older man in square glasses, looking to be around sixty, approached Wen Jiabao.

“Vice Premier, it’s been a while.”

“Ah, Secretary Huang. It has indeed been a while.”

The two greeted each other warmly, appearing to share a close relationship.

Han Gyeong-yeong recalled Mu-hyeok’s insights on the political landscape in China.

‘Though it’s unofficial, the Chinese Communist Party has three factions sharing power. They check each other while maintaining a delicate balance. Shanghai is under the influence of the Shanghai clique, so pay attention to Secretary Huang.’

Wen Jiabao pointed to Han Gyeong-yeong as he introduced him.

“This is James Han, an investor from the U.S.”

Secretary Huang reached out to Han Gyeong-yeong with a friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Huang Zhu, Secretary of Shanghai.”

“Yes, Secretary. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

True to his role as the Secretary of a major international city, he spoke fluent English.

After a brief moment, Wen Jiabao moved on to greet others.

Huang Zhu turned to Han Gyeong-yeong with a smile.

“It’s your first time in Shanghai, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. I find this city promising for the coming years.”

“You’re absolutely right. I’m particularly looking forward to the new Pudong New Area being designated as an economic zone this time around.”

Huang Zhu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“By the way, what’s your relationship with Vice Premier Wen?”

“We’re good friends.”

“…Friends, huh? Is this under instructions from that Charlie Kim?”

Han Gyeong-yeong’s expression stiffened at Huang Zhu’s words.

With a sly smile, Huang Zhu continued,

“I’m surprised. Vice Premier Wen is known for his neutrality among factions. Yet here you are, flaunting your connection with legendary American investor James Han. I heard Charlie Kim is supposedly the real owner of Dream High Investment… How intriguing.”

The current ruling force was the Shanghai clique.

This was all thanks to Jiang Zemin, the first figure to hold both the title of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Secretary of the Military Commission, effectively consolidating the party and the military.

“Does it matter?”

“It does. I’m curious to know what Vice Premier Wen sees in you.”

I knew it was no longer possible to hide Kim Mu-hyeok’s identity.

For a while, I had managed to stall because of pressure from the U.S. government, but now there was no reason to resist any longer.

Instead, I received confirmation that only Charlie Kim, the American name, would be put on the list, without revealing any personal details.

“I’ve formed a close relationship with Vice Premier Wen, which is why I personally came all the way to China. I don’t know what that has to do with you, Secretary.”

“Haha, you’re good at investments, but it seems you’re not well-informed about China. I’m the owner of this city, Shanghai.”

I had heard the rumors that you can’t accomplish anything in China without bribes, but to hear someone ranked within the top ten of China’s power hierarchy say such things in public was surprising.

“We’re planning to establish Dream High’s China branch in Shanghai soon. The person who’ll be appointed as branch director will come by to greet you.”

Han Gyeong-yeong introduced Rocky, who was standing next to him, with a blank expression.

Huang Zhu spoke to Rocky in Chinese.

“Are you Chinese?”

“I have Chinese heritage, but my nationality is American.”

“Once a Chinese, always a Chinese. I hope we can build a good relationship.”

After giving Rocky a nod, Han Gyeong-yeong moved on.

Glancing back, Wen Jiabao was still surrounded by people, engaged in conversation.

To cool my head, I walked towards the window.

However, the crowd wouldn’t let him be.

“James?”

Han Gyeong-yeong turned, looking in the direction of the voice.

“Are you the James representing Dream High Investment?”

“Yes, but who are you?”

“I’m Wang Jianlin, the chairman of Wanda Group.”

Han Gyeong-yeong responded with a polite smile.

“I see. James Han here.”

“Haha, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I received word that you are staying at our hotel. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, there are no problems at all.”

While most attendees at the Beijing event were politicians, this event in Shanghai, known as the economic center of China, had many businesspeople present.

“The legend of James is well-known among Chinese enterprises. They say you made a considerable profit during the foreign exchange crisis. Impressive.”

“You exaggerate.”

“May I ask where you plan to invest in China?”

While the question seemed innocent, Han Gyeong-yeong couldn’t help but grumble internally about how many times he had heard this since arriving in China.

“Well, I’m planning to invest mainly in IT companies for now.”

Of course, he didn’t show any of those thoughts outwardly.

“Do you have no interest in real estate?”

“But isn’t all land state-owned in China?”

“True, but in practice, transactions occur in the form of land use rights. It may look different, but it’s no different from real estate transactions in the U.S.”

At Wang Jianlin’s words, Han Gyeong-yeong chuckled inwardly.

“But it isn’t unlimited, is it?”

“The government extends it.”

“That’s no different from saying it can be revoked anytime. It doesn’t sound appealing to me. Maybe for a Chinese, but not for a foreigner…”

“Isn’t it safer for foreigners?”

“I’ll think it over.”

“Let’s partner up and build an empire in China. What do you say?”

He was strangely persistent.

Han Gyeong-yeong pretended to sip the champagne in his hand to hide his expression.

“A real estate empire and a media empire. That’s the vision I have for our group’s future.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Just then, Wen Jiabao approached.

“Chairman Wang, it’s been a while.”

Wang Jianlin quickly lowered his head.

“Vice Premier, it’s been a while since we last met.”

“I’ve heard business is going well for you.”

“Thanks to you.”

“What help am I providing? By the way, what were you discussing with James?”

Han Gyeong-yeong sighed internally.

He felt like a doll caught between greedy children.

“He asked if I had any intention to partner up for real estate in China.”

“That’s a good idea. What do you think, James?”

“I said I’d think about it.”

Wen Jiabao nodded, then turned back to Wang Jianlin.

“Are you still close with Bo Xilai?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not unaware of your friendship with Bo Xilai. Rumor has it he’s your financial supporter.”

Though Wang Jianlin’s expression remained calm, Han Gyeong-yeong sensed a hint of panic beneath in his demeanor.

“No, we’ve just known each other since childhood; it’s not that kind of relationship.”

“Be careful. While you need to partner with power to do business, keep your bearings straight.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I must be going now. I have something to discuss with Representative James.”

“Understood. I look forward to seeing you in Beijing.”

Wen Jiabao watched Wang Jianlin walk away with a knowing glance.

“That guy is part of the princeling faction. There aren’t many who have entered politics, but in the business world, he wields significant power. His parents had strong influence, so he couldn’t avoid various privileges. It’s a bitter reality for our country.”

Han Gyeong-yeong nodded slowly.

Wen Jiabao cautioned him.

“The Secretary Huang you met earlier is a key member of the Shanghai clique. Just look at him being the symbolic Secretary of Shanghai, which is currently the ruling faction.”

“Is that so?”

“I detest factional politics. They ultimately prioritize power over the people’s lives. That’s why I needed Kim Mu-hyeok’s support—to securethe next prime minister position definitively. Please convey that to Kim Mu-hyeok as well.”

“Got it. I’m planning to enter China soon.”

Wen Jiabao looked puzzled.

“What brings you here?”

“There’s been a bit of a stall with the negotiations in a place I plan to invest in.”

“Where? I’ll happily assist you.”

“I’ll let you know once Mu-hyeok arrives.”

“Reach out whenever you need to.”

Han Gyeong-yeong nodded, concealing his exhaustion.

* * *

Thanks to Wen Jiabao, I was able to leave the Shanghai International Airport without any hindrance.

Not far away, Han Gyeong-yeong was surrounded by bodyguards.

With his hands in the pockets of his suit pants, he kicked a stone while looking at me.

“You made it?”

“Yeah. You’ve really aged since I last saw you.”

As if he had been waiting for that, Han Gyeong-yeong let out a sigh deep enough to make the ground tremble.

“This place is a complete jungle. The guys in power openly ask for bribes, and the businessmen treat me like a fool. It’s ridiculous.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the torrent of complaints pouring out as soon as we met.

“Let’s get going. You’ve set up a meeting with Jack Ma, right?”

“Yeah. If we leave now, I think we’ll make it in time.”

As he shared the stories of his time in China, we began our journey to Jack Ma’s company.

It was an old, shabby apartment in a residential area of Hangzhou.

“Is this the place?”

Alibaba.

Even the largest company in China started in such a shabby place.